Minji woke with a start. It was 6:54am, six minutes before her alarm would ring. She couldn’t sleep. Today was the day her drama character and Joon’s have a kiss scene. She had been looking forward to it since the day she signed on to act in the drama.

 

She and Joon grew up together because their moms were high school friends. Throughout primary and secondary school, they both denied ever liking each other and insisted they were basically brother and sister. Sophomore year, when Minji had a crush on a senior on the soccer team, Joon was the one to introduce them. Little did she know that every time her boyfriend picked her up after soccer practice, Joon’s stomach would do so many backflips that he’d heave his lunch into a trashcan. When the two of them found fame, Joon secretly dated a girl group member, and Minji was his sole confidant. She cried herself to sleep until the day they broke up.

 

Seungho slapped Joon awake. “It’s 6:50.” Joon forced his eyes open. . He jumped out of bed and heard his manager angrily honking the horn of their van. He sloppily brushed his teeth, splashed some water on his face and hair, brushed it roughly, slipped on some jeans and a shirt, then hurriedly made for the stairwell. Even so, he was 10 minutes late to the shoot.

 

As Minji had her makeup applied, Joon got his hair done, and Seungho brushed his teeth, they all simultaneously read the same blaring headline from their phones:

 

JUNG MINJI AND MBLAQ SEUNGHO DATING??

 

“Late last night, Jung Minji was seen on the streets of Hongdae with none other than MBLAQ’s leader Yang Seungho. Photos of the two were posted on a fan’s meToday, and later released to the press. The two were reportedly seen to be “close, laughing together,” “joking around,” and looked “like a couple.” Both of their representatives have yet to speak out on this matter.

 

Jung Minji is currently playing the leading role in popular drama You’re the One That I Want, alongside MBLAQ member Lee Joon. Jung Minji is known to be very close with Lee Joon, while her relationship with leader Seungho is unknown.

 

The news of the potential couple has been explosive, as the pictures were posted only 6 hours ago. MBLAQ’s forum has been flooded with comments pertaining to the couple, and Jung Minji’s meToday has also been overloaded with comments. While both Jung Minji and Yang Seungho are immensely popular with the current generation, their unconfirmed relationship status has many netizens confused, concerned, and some outraged.

 

More details will be revealed as this hot issue unfolds.”

 

 

Seungho closed the page, his heart about to burst out of his chest. He checked the MBLAQ forum, and found that the article was right. They had around 3000 new messages, of which nearly all related to the possible couple. Hebegan to read through the comments:

 

joonjoonjoonie: minji and joon forever!!

 

seunghoism238: joonmin!!

 

rahpewpew: I hope this isn’t true…I ship joonmin so, haha

 

crazyfordrama5678: If this is actually true, then my congrats to the new couple…but honestly, minji and joon would have made such a cute couple >_<

 

After scrolling through three pages with generally the same material, Seungho couldn’t bring himself to keep reading.

 

 

Minji was on the verge of tears, which was fairly inconvenient because her makeup artist’s work was rendered somewhat obsolete. I knew it. Seungho ruined everything. Lee Joon will think this is real, and he won’t want anything to do with me.

 

 

Joon felt his phone buzz, but decided against checking his messages. What if it’s Minji, confirming the article? What if it’s Seungho, thanking me for getting them together? He swallowed hard, and walked briskly to the set. Minji’s manager ushered her into the room as well.

 

Hyesung, or as they call her during drama shooting, Writer Hyesung-nim, kept drilling the importance of the kiss into their minds, “Jung-ah needs to feel pained!! She thinks Young-jae dislikes her, which is why she’s also feeling played by Young-jae! And Young-jae should be—Joon! Are you listening?? Young-jae should feel relieved, and be leading in the kiss!! This is very important! You must EXPRESS their feelings CLEARLY to the camera! We need to see the PASSION!! ARE YOU LISTENING? DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?”

 

Joon and Minji nodded together. She was about to continue, but a staff member interjected that the director and the PD were ready to start.

 

Minji and Joon shuffled onto the set, with Hyesung still preaching the importance of the scene, describing the quality of the “PASSION AND CONNECTION BETWEEN THEM!!!”

 

 

Joon murmured to Minji so only she could her, “What happened last night?”

 

“Nothing,” Minji whispered back.

 

“So the photos were digitally altered? The report is fake?”

 

Minji shook her head. “No, but—“

 

“Then don’t tell me that nothing happened,” Joon growled. “I read the article.”

 

“Joon, listen—.”

 

“Get ready!!” The director called. So, Minji took a deep breath, and started to speak her lines.

 

“I’ve only looked at you, this whole time, only you.”

 

Joon frowned, “I saw the way you were looking at him. Don’t lie to me.”

 

“Believe me, Youngjae! I’ve been completely, wholly in love with you, this whole time,” Minji practically cried. Tears rose in her eyes as her character’s lines paralleled her own feelings.

 

Joon lowered his eyes and stepped toward her. He took her hands and brought them around his neck. Minji’s eyes widened and the tears rolled down her cheeks.

 

Joon sighed and brought his lips to hers.

 

“NG! NG!!” Hyesung called. “Joon, there was literally no emotion!”

 

Joon leapt from her and grimaced. “Writer Hyesung-nim, can we not do the kiss? Isn’t there another way?”

 

Minji looked at her best friend. She felt as if he’d plunged a spike into her heart.

 

Hyesung frowned. “This has been in the script for weeks. Our drama is the most popular one this season. The kiss is what the viewers want! Let’s do the scene again.”

 

As the crew reset the cameras and lights, Joon threw Minji a look of utter disgust.

 

Speaking the lines a second time was even more painful than the first. “I’ve looked only at you, all this time. It has always been you.”

 

“I saw the way you were looking at him. Do not lie to me.”

 

“Youngjae, please! Believe me! I’ve been completely and wholly in love with you, this whole time.”

 

Joon brought her hands around his neck again, and as he leaned into her, Minji closed her eyes, letting the tears drop out. He gently pressed his lips to hers. Minji stifled a cry and felt more tears roll down her cheeks. He brought a hand to her face, cupping her cheek, and he wrapped his other hand around her waist, pulling her towards him. He felt Minji move her lips in sync with his, her fingers shaking against the back of his neck.

 

Then they heard “CUT!!” and slowly pulled apart. Minji looked over to Hyesung, who wore an unfathomable expression. Lee Joon stormed off the set, wiping his mouth as he left.

 

Minji wiped the remaining tears off using her hand and clutched her chest. Hyesung gestured for Minji to come with her. She pulled Minji into the bathroom and locked the door.

 

“Do you like Joon?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“So the article is false.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Joon looked really mad.”

 

“He is.”

 

Hyesung grabbed Minji’s hand. “Don’t worry too much. Joon will listen to you.”

 

“But he won’t!” Minji burst out. “He wouldn’t let me explain at all! I tried to tell him that nothing happened between me and Seungho, but he wouldn’t believe me! I know that he doesn’t like me, but now he probably hates me! I knew I should’ve gone home after Lee Joon left, but I can’t change that anymore!”

 

“Let’s go again!” shouted the voice of the PD. “I want to get some more angles!”

 

“Please don’t worry. Lee Joon’s a good guy. He just needs some time and space to process the information,” Hyesung comforted. “Let’s just forget about this, and shoot some good scenes.”

 

Minji nodded and followed her back onto the set. Lee Joon was already there, and as she took her place next to him, he murmured emotionlessly, “Seungho wants to meet with you. I’ll drive you to my company after the shoot is over.”

 

They repeated the kiss countless times. Minji’s heart thumped uncontrollably and her eyes were sore from crying so much. When their day was over, she couldn’t wait to retreat to her dressing room.

 

When she left the room, Joon was waiting for her. She followed him to his white sports car, and he opened the passenger’s side door for her.

 

They sat in silence as Joon sped down the highway.

 

“Joonie,” Minji started.

 

“I don’t want to talk right now.” 

 

They arrived at exactly 8 o’clock. Seungho was dancing to an old song, but stopped as he saw the two coming in.

 

“Hyung,” Joon greeted in a monotone.

 

“Seungho-sshi, hello,” Minji said.

 

Joon left the room, sighing. He had set her up with Seungho last night because he was so sure she wouldn’t be interested in him. Actually, he’d recently suspected that she developed a crush on himself, especially because he couldn’t help but feel attracted to his dongsaeng. If she liked Seungho enough to deny it outright, then he must have really messed up. Joon fumed in the hallway, pacing irritatedly.

 

 

Meanwhile, Hyesung just finished looking over the footage from the day’s filming. She headed for her car and the radio as she started driving home.

 

“Yes Eunhyuk! It seems as if Jung Minji and MBLAQ’s Seungho could possibly have something going on. There were pictures released of the two being intimate…and I’ve seen those pictures, although they do look just like friends to me,” Leeteuk said in one breath.

 

“Leeteuk-sshi, you don’t think they could be together? Well…we’ll just have to wait for their representatives to make an official statement regarding this issue! And onto our next subject…”

 

Before she could think more on the matter, her phone began ringing, *Ring Ding Dong Ring Ding—“

 

“Hello?”

 

“Hello? Hello? Is this Hyesung-sshi? Hello?”

 

Hyesung recognized the voice as belonging to Yoseob. “Haha, yeah…and is this Yoseob-sshi?”

 

“Listen…wanna come ice skating with me? I really want to go, but none of the members want to go with me!”

 

“I see…so am I some sort of last ditch effort to you?”

 

“No, Hyesung!! I really want to go with you!!”

 

“Yes, I know. I was only kidding…Are you going to pick me up?”

 

After she gave him her address, they played a cute game of “you hang up first, no YOU hang up first” before they mutually agreed to “okay, let’s hang up at the same time…one…two…three…now!..........….are you still there?”

 

 

 

“I’m really sorry about the article,” Seungho started.

 

Minji shook her head. “It’s not your fault. We couldn’t have done anything about it.”

 

They stood next to each other, facing the big mirror. Seungho had his legs slightly apart, while Minji tapped her toes together lightly.

 

Seungho turned to look at her. “What should we do?”

 

Minji shrugged. “Tell them the truth, I guess. We basically just met that day, and it was by accident that we wound up together.”

 

“What if they don’t believe it?”

 

“Then the situation can’t be helped. Nothing is going on between us anyway, so the rumors will die down eventually.”

 

 “I don’t think that’s how the press will treat this, and I don’t want to see you getting hurt.”

 

Minji looked up cautiously, not wanting to lead him on. “You don’t need to worry about me. I can take care of myself just fine.”

 

“Minji…” Seungho hesitated. “What if…we confirmed the rumors, and said we were dating?” Before she could protest, he continued, “If we appear in public every once in a while and post a few pictures online, then the reporters will leave you alone for once. If we deny the rumors, my fans might attack you. Let’s pretend to date. I’ll protect you.”

 

Minji frowned.

 

“Just think about it. Please?”

 

She nodded reluctantly and turned to leave.

 

“Minji, I’ll take responsibility for you. Trust me.”